Many people involved in physical activity can experience injury and fatigue in the lower leg and feet. Developing a device that reduces the impact of stress from such activity, including the risk of trauma related to absorbing the impact of activity, and that promotes circulation in the lower extremities will not only reduce the chance of injury but improve performance.
Conventional socks, such as athletic socks, include, for example, a terry stitch in attempt to absorb the impact of physical stress. While such sock constructions can absorb some energy from impact, such heavier constructions do not provide optimal shock absorbing characteristics.
Thus, there is a need to provide a tubular garment, such as a sock, having a construction that provides improved shock absorbing characteristics. There is a need to provide a sock that improves circulation through compression in combination with improved shock absorbing properties. There is also a need for a sock having such characteristics that provides a contoured fit and that has smooth transitions from one area of compressive pressure to another. Such a sock would provide a means for promoting circulation and reducing impact stress in selected areas of a wearer's foot and/or leg.